Nonglare headlighting assembly



July 5, 1938.

J. c. FORD 2,122,413

NONGLARE HEADLIGHT ING AS SEMBLY Filed Oct 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 zFIG.

July 5, 1938. C FQRD 2,122,413

NONGLARE HEADLIGHTING ASSEMBLY Filed Oct. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Fla/0 15 [5/69 JNVENTOE ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in head lights forautomobiles,and consists of an improved construction, arrangement andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a construction forautomobile head lights, in which three sources of lights are provided,one being especially for throwing a concentrated light a long distanceahead of the car, one for directional purposes, and the other one beingprimarily for use where a more diffusedlight distribution over a shortdistance is desired. The "construction of the head lights provides meansfor masking and directing the light from its source in such a mannerthat at least the major portion if not all of the light is directedalong the road surface to be lighted, and substantially all the glarefrom such lights is prevented from rising above a predetermined level.

A further object'of my'invention is to provide novel means for adjustingthe level in which the rays of light will be projected.

A still further object is to provide a-construction in which a housingis employed for the lighting structure and such structure is made as aself-contained-unit, removable from the housing for adjustment, repairs,or other purposes.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are accomplished, andthe manner of their accomplishment, will readily be understood from thefollowing description on reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:--

Figure '-1 is a sectional elevation showing the preferred embodiment ofmy device;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the device wit the lens attachedthereto;

Figure 3 is a complete unit for raising and lowering the rear end of thehead light assembly;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 3;

' Figure 5is a sectional view taken-along the line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a complete section taken longitudinally through the forwardreflector and rear counter-reflector with the upper portionthat-connects the two reflectors; Figure 7 is a View of thecounter-reflector at the rear end of the device illustrated in Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a front elevation of Figure 6; Figure 9 is a longitudinalsectional view ofa device similar to that shown in Figure '1, with'theexception it can be used either with or without a reflector;

Figure 10 is a front elevation of head lighting device with the lensremoved;

Figure 11 is a sectional view of a modified form of the invention;

Figure 12 is a front view of Figure 11 with lens removed;

Figure 13 is a perpendicular view of the conical shaped reflectorlooking downwardly upon the same.

Referring now to the drawings in which various parts are indicated bynumbers and figures,

this diaphragm is a casing 9 having a wall 14 at its rear end, said wallI4 preferably being of general parabolic shape, and being centered onthe longitudinal axis of the housing. The cylindrical walls ll) of thecasing extend forwardly at a downward incline to the opening [3A in thediaphragm l3, the lower half of the walls l5 being of a circular shape,and the upper portion 15A being flattened and downwardly directed andextending forwardly to said opening I3A at a level preferably veryslightly above the longitudinal axis of the casing Ill. The lower halfof the walls of the casing terminates at the diaphragm I3, and theentire casing is secured to the diaphragm as by brazing, welding, or inany other manner desired.

A reflector I6 is mounted on the inside of the casing 9 and is pitchedslightly forward so that its center beam comes slightly below the centeror horizontal edge 30 of the inside assembly illustrated in Figure 6.Mounted in reflector l6'is a light-bulb IT, to which a suitable currentwire l8 leads from a source of current, the light I? being mounted inthe usual socket I9. The upper ,portion of the diaphragm I3 iscountersunk horizontally to form a round and oblong shaped reflector inwhich is set a socket 21. Into this socket fits a bulb 22 used fordirectional purposes, and current is supplied by a wire 23 leading tothe source of current. The numeral 24 designates a combination concaveand oblong shaped reflector at the center of which is formed a socket 25to receive a bulb 26, current being supplied by a wire 21 leading to thesource of current. Mounted on the inside of casing 9 is a semicircularcounterreflector 28 connected with the reflector 24 by a plate orbridging wall 29, the two reflectors and the bridging wall beingpreferably made as a unit cut from a single piece of material. The upperend of the counterreflector and the rear end of the wall 29 intersect toform an edge 39 extending transversely through the casing 9 from oneside thereof to the other. When viewed from its front end, the wall 29is in the form of a lower segment of a circle, as shown at 3|. The upperface of this bridging wall is of a dull or nonreflecting color so thatlight will not be reflected upwardly therefrom. A supporting bolt orcross rod 33 extends transversely through the casing under the rear endof the bridging wall and at the center of its rear edge t thecounterreflector carries a tongue or tip 52 which engages in a slot 43.The front plate in which the reflector 24 is formed has openings 48 nearits margins to receive bolts 49 for securing the same to brackets 49Amounted at sides of the front end of the casing.

Now referring to unit for raising and lowering the rear end of headlight assembly, 34 and 34A are nuts through which a bolt 35 passes. Thisbolt is threaded at one end and has a flanged or shouldered part 36under which a jam nut 3? screws up snug and tight and holds the bolt 35firmly in any fixed position. The nut 34 is securely'welded or brazedonto a flat piece of steel 38, and the flat piece of steel 3! issecurely Welded or brazed onto the rear wall of the reflector oasing it,as shown by 39. The nut 34A is likewise securely brazed or welded tohousing l0.

The casing 9 of Figure 9 is of the same construction as the casing 9 inFigure 1, but the reflector iii that is mounted inside the casing inFigure 1 is omitted, and the rear wall l4 serves as reflector. Theparabolically shaped reflector formed by the wall M is highly polishedbetween points 56 and 563A on the inside, and this particular portion ispitched slightly forward between these points. The cylindrical walls Iextend forwardlyand downwardly to opening in the diaphragm is, the lowerhalf of the walls being of circular shape and the upper portion [5Abeing flattened forwardly and downwardly to the opening 13A indiaphragm. The numeral 6| designates the edge of the circular and oblongshaped depression in the upper portion of the diaphragm, and G5 is theoblong and circular shaped depression on the front end of combinationalunits of Figures 2 and 10, showing the reflector 24.

The reflector casing 6'5 shown in Figure 111 is a parabolically shapedmember which extends forwardly and downwardly and has cylindrical walls68 the lower portion of which is of a circular shape where it enters thediaphragm l3 and the upper portion 69 being flattened and inclinedforwardly and downwardly. The numeral designates the counterreflectorattached to reflector casing 6'! at l l. The reflector I6 is pitched atan angle slightly upward.

In using the head lights, directional lights,

and dimmer lights, they are wired up to any suitable type of directionalcontrol switch and the light ll, light 22, and light 26 are similarlyconnected to a control switch by means of which either one or all may beturned on at the same time, the details of which switch control havingno part of the present invention and. which have not been shown. Indriving, light 26 may be switched on and used, or it may be switchedoff, and the large light ll turned on, showing much cerned, the forwardedge of the upper portion ISA of the tubular member l5- prevents anydirect rays from rising high enough to blind the driver of anapproaching car. The upper portion of reflector I6 is masked and at thesame time the lower portion of the reflector I6 is masked by thecounterreflector up to center or horizontal edge 30, thereby effectivelycutting on" those rays which might be reflected from the lower portionof the reflector [6. The rear wall i4, shown in Figures 1 and 9, may beused as a reflector should the reflector l6 be removed. It ispreferable, however, to use the reflector such as the reflector 16 inpreference to the reflector I4.

, In the form shown in detail in Figure 11, the rear end of the casingis formed with a wall 61 which will serve as a reflecting means in theevent that the reflector I6 shown in Figure 11 is removed.

I claim:

1. A headlight comprising a housing having an open outer face, a lightreflecting means mounted in said housing, said light reflecting meanscomprising a concave vertically disposed reflecting surface facingtoward the open outer face of said housing, a longitudinal conical lightdischarging means extending forwardly of the vertically disposedreflecting surface and having a top and a bottom portion, the topportion being inclined downwardly toward the outer end and having areflecting face upon its under surface, the bottom portion beinginclined upwardly toward its inner end, a lighting means in the rear endof said conical light discharge means, the inner end of the bottomportion shielding the rays of light from the lower half of the lightingmeans and the lower half of the vertical reflecting surface,

the top and bottom portions of the conical light discharge means beingspaced to provide an elongated transversely extending light opening atthe outer end of the conical light discharge means, the upper face ofthe bottom portion constituting a non-reflecting surface, the top andbottom portions being flat at their inner ends and oppositely bowed attheir outer ends, the

inner end of the bottom portion extendingin a 1 straight transverse lineat the transverse center of the lighting means and the verticallydisposed reflecting surface and in a straight line across the entirewidth thereof, and a concave reflector and located below the inner endof said bottom portion. 7

2. A headlight of the class described comprising a housing, a diaphragmat the front of said housing, a lens in front of said diaphragm, saidfacing said vertically disposed reflecting surface a counterreflectorextending the full width of" the casing in front of said reflector andshielding a full half of the reflector and extending vertically beyondthe horizontal diameter of the reflector and terminating in a horizontaledge extending the full width of the casing, said oounterreflectorserving to prevent projection of glaring light rays from a lamp directlythrough the casing and the opening the diaphragm, and the upper wall ofthe casing being disposed at 2.16

downward incline towards its front end and constituting means forreflecting light rays at a downward incline through the opening in thediaphragm. v

3. A headlight comprising a housing, a diaphragm at the front of saidhousing, a lens in front of said diaphragm, said diaphragm having itslower portion formed with an opening having a horizontally extendinglongitudinally arcuate upper edge, a casing extending longitudinally insaid housing with its front end secured to the diaphragm about theopening thereof, a reflector in the rear portion of said casing having abulb receiving socket at its center, the upper wall of the casing beingtransversely arcuate and extending at a downward incline towards itsfront end for directing light rays through the opening in the diaphragmat a downward incline, a counterreflector in the casing in front of thereflector, said counterreflector consisting of a segment of a spherehaving its concaved side facing said reflector and constituting a shieldcovering a portion of the reflector and terminating in a horizontal edgeextending the full width of the casing, a plate extending forwardly fromthe marginal edge of the counterreflector to the front end of saidcasing for the full width of the casing, said plate being arcuatetransversely and disposed at a forward downward incline, and anauxiliary reflector below the front end of said plate provided with abulb receiving socket.

4. A headlight of the class described comprising a lighting unitassembly, said lighting unit assembly comprising an elongated casinghaving a transversely arcuate upper wall extending at a downward inclinetowards its front end, the rear end of said upper wall terminating in avertical reflector constituting a continuation of the upper wall, alower wall having a non-reflecting upper surface arranged in spacedrelation below the upper wall, the upper and lower walls being spaced attheir outer ends to provide a light emitting opening, the lower wallextending on an incline upwardly from the outer end toward the innerend, a light bulb carried centrally of the vertical reflector, the upperwall having a reflecting surface upon the under side for directing lightrays downwardly, the inner end of the lower wall extending transverselyof the casing for the full width of said casing and being spacedupwardly to a point slightly above the focal point of the reflector andslightly below the horizontal plane of the longitudinal central axis ofthe light bulb, and in front of the light bulb to prevent the projectionof glaring light rays from said bulb outwardly from said casing in anupward direction, and a counterreflector extending upwardly from saidcasing to the inner end of the lower wall and facing the bulb and thevertical reflector.

5. A headlight comprising a housing, a diaphragm at the front of saidhousing, a lens in front of said diaphragm, said diaphragm having itslower portion formed with an opening having a horizontally extendinglongitudinally arcuate upper edge, a casing extending longitudinally insaid housing with its front end secured to the diaphragm about theopening thereof, a reflector in the rear portion of said casing having abulb receiving socket at its center, the upper wall of the casing beingtransversely arcuate and extending at a downward incline towards itsfront end for its full length for directing light rays through theopening in the diaphragm at a downward incline, a counterreflector inthe casing extending the full width thereof in front of the reflector,said counterreflector consisting of a segment of a sphere having itsconcaved side facing said reflector and constituting a shield covering aportion of the reflector and terminating in a straight horizontal edgeextending the full width of the casing, and a wall extending forwardlyfrom the upper portion of the counterreflector to the diaphragm.

JULIUS C. FORD.

